Let's Get Social!

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

SEPHORA, the leading beauty retailer, announced today the
entrepreneurs selected to participate in its inaugural SEPHORA
Accelerate Cohort. SEPHORA Accelerate is part of the company's SEPHORA STANDS initiative and is positioned to help female-founded start-ups design the future of beauty. Currently, female entrepreneurs do not have the same
access to funding, connections, or business instruction as male
entrepreneurs do, a fact reflected by the statistic that 85% of venture
capital funded start-ups are led exclusively by men.† Recognizing that even in the beauty industry, where most customers are women, female founders are still underrepresented, SEPHORA designed the SEPHORA Accelerate program
to build a community of innovative female founders in all areas of the
beauty industry. The program eschews a competition-style format and
instead embraces a more collaborative and supportive structure, creating
an approach that catalyzes growth and infuses social impact into each
brand's work."SEPHORA is thrilled to announce the entrepreneurs selected for
our Accelerate Cohort program. These female founders from the US, Mexico and Canada have impressed us with their vision and unique approach to beauty," said Corrie Conrad,
SEPHORA's Head of Social Impact. "We are excited to take the next step
in building a supportive community and learning environment for these
early stage leaders, who are helping to shape the industry we are so
passionate about at SEPHORA, an industry we are honored to share with
these future brand leaders."Qualifying candidates were invited to apply for a coveted spot
in the program. Each fellow met specific criteria, including being a
founder or co-founder of their business, being committed to building a
social impact into the company's DNA, and fitting into two broad
categories: leading a company that creates a cosmetic product, or a
company that creates technology or provides services related to beauty
or that could be relevant to the beauty industry.

The eight participants in the inaugural SEPHORA Accelerate cohort include:

Candace Mitchell, MyavanaMyavana is a data-driven social platform that offers personalized hair analysis, consultations, and product recommendations. "My
biggest challenge as a female entrepreneur is having the resources to
grow and scale quickly while pushing through the stereotypes of being a
minority."

Carolina Grove, StylerzStylerz allows you to discover top Beauty Salons, Spas, Barbers and independent professionals in Mexico, so you can book an appointment when and where you want from your Smartphone or PC. "We
want to help [women founders] with digital tools to empower them to
take their businesses to the next level and make a real difference in
the beauty industry."

Danielle Cohen-Shohet, GlossgeniusGlossgenius
is an innovative digital personal assistant for independent
beauticians. It helps them manage and grow their businesses through
proactive client engagement and marketing tools. "If
50% of the US population is female, why isn't 50% of my mentor and
advisor base female? It's been a challenge to build a support and mentor
group that reflects the gender diversity of the world around me."

Karissa Bodnar, Thrive CausemeticsThrive
Causemetics is Beauty with a Purpose™, creating high-performance,
vegan, luxury cosmetics. For every product purchased, one is donated to a
woman going through cancer treatment. "Our Beauty
with a Purpose™ one-for-one giving mission is important to me because we
know that every product we create and sell is more than just a beauty
product, it is empowerment and confidence to a woman in need. "

Leila Janah, LaxmiLaxmi
is a luxury skincare brand dedicated to prioritizing humanity. They
formulate with pure, rare and effective botanicals that work on your
skin, and provide work for women around the world, to end global
poverty. "My biggest challenge has been [being]
underestimated by investors and even business partners, in terms of
scaling up my companies."

Lisa Mattam, SahajanSahajan creates ayurvedic inspired, organic skincare--marrying the ancient traditions of Ayurveda with modern science. "To
me, social impact is about intentionally weaving business practices
that make a real and sustainable difference to people and the planet."

Naa-Sakle Akuete, Eu'Genia SheaEu'Genia
Shea makes shea-based products with at least 95% pure shea content.
Their fully transparent supply chain empowers women and their families
in Ghana. "If you've been given the resources and
opportunities to work for yourself, making sure your business supports
the entire chain is an obligation not a choice; I couldn't live with
myself any other way."

Suzanne LeRoux, One Love OrganicsOne
Love Organics creates certified organic and environmentally friendly
skincare of the highest quality. They manufacture their own products and
are 1 of only a small number of ECOCERT licensed manufacturers for
natural and organic cosmetics in the US. "I am
excited to have a group of female beauty entrepreneurs with whom to
build a supportive community. So many times in my journey, I have
needed, and simply wanted, guidance from someone who understands the
challenges that come along with building a beauty business."

In April the Cohort fellows will attend a SEPHORA Accelerate bootcamp in San Francisco
designed to develop, teach and refine the necessary skills to run and
build their businesses. Program benefits include access to an exclusive
mentorship program comprised of SEPHORA's network of beauty industry
leaders and internal mentors. Currently confirmed to participate in the
various programs are Pamela Baxter, President and CEO LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics for North America, and CEO of Christian Dior Inc., who will serve as Expert in Residence during the bootcamp, and Alli Webb,
Founder of Drybar, who will serve as one of the Brand Founder Mentors.
Additionally, SEPHORA has engaged OpenIDEO—IDEO's social innovation
platform—to bring its business acumen and human-centered design process
to the program.

About SEPHORA AmericasSEPHORA
is a leader in global beauty retail, teaching and inspiring clients to
play in a world of beauty. SEPHORA has earned its reputation with its
expertise, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit, and has been changing
the face of prestige cosmetics since its debut in Paris in the early 1970's. A year after its acquisition by luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 1997, SEPHORA expanded its empire to North America
with a revolutionary store model that broke down the department store
counter. Now with more than 360 stores in the Americas—including US, Canada, Mexico,
and Brazil—plus 500 inside JCPenney, SEPHORA has become a leading
international beauty destination with over 2,000 locations in 31
countries, plus an award-winning website and an intuitive mobile app.
Clients have the opportunity to play with 14,000 products from 200
carefully curated brands, featuring indie darlings, emerging favorites,
trusted classics, and SEPHORA's private label, SEPHORA COLLECTION. In
store, the client receives personalized recommendations from the IQ
system, and at the Beauty Studio she explores her look with makeovers,
complimentary classes, hands-on events, and one-on-one consultations.
Online she interacts with an inclusive beauty community on the
award-winning Beauty Board, interactive Beauty Talk, and The SEPHORA Glossy
blog. And as one of SEPHORA's 17 million Beauty Insiders, she feeds her
beauty addiction with unique rewards and experiences. SEPHORA offers
endless ways to explore beauty. For the latest, visit sephora.com